Written Answers Friday 27 August 2010

Scottish Executive

Public Inquiries

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the report of the Fingerprint Inquiry examining the Shirley McKie case.

Kenny MacAskill: Ministers have not yet received the report of the Fingerprint Inquiry, nor been notified of a date for its publication. The Inquiry Chairman is understood to be considering the evidence and preparing a report.

  The conduct of a public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act is for the Chairman of the Inquiry to determine.

Public Inquiries

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public inquires are ongoing and when each is expected to report to ministers.

Kenny MacAskill: Three public inquiries for which a report has not yet been received have been established by the Scottish Ministers under the Inquiries Act 2005: the Fingerprint Inquiry established to investigate the steps taken to verify the fingerprints associated with the case of H.M Advocate v McKie in 1999 and related matters, the Penrose Inquiry established to investigate Hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products, and the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry established to investigate the occurrence of C. difficile infection at the Vale of Leven Hospital from 1 January 2007 onwards.

  On 16 December 2009 Sir Anthony Campbell announced that the Fingerprint Inquiry "now enters a new phase of work in which the chairman will consider the evidence and begin drafting his report. The chairman intends to give any individual or organisation who might be the subject of criticism in the report an opportunity to respond to that potential criticism. Where he plans to make recommendations, he also intends to give any individual or organisation likely to be affected by those recommendations an opportunity to comment on them. It will therefore be some time before the Inquiry report is finalised and published"; Lord Penrose stated in the February 2010 Penrose Inquiry bulletin that "We are currently in the first phase of our work and this phase will culminate with the publication of my preliminary report. I intend to publish my preliminary report during 2010. We will then seek a response to its findings before proceeding to hold public hearings into the issues that have been identified as requiring further investigation"; the Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry website reports under ‘frequently asked questions’ that "The Inquiry is required to make recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing by 31 May 2011. An extension may be granted by the Cabinet Secretary."

  Regular progress reports for each Inquiry are available on the Inquiry websites, which may be found respectively at:

  Fingerprint Inquiry: http://www.thefingerprintinquiryscotland.org.uk.

  Penrose Inquiry: http://www.penroseinquiry.org.uk/.

  Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry: http://www.valeoflevenhospitalinquiry.org/.

  George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current estimated cost is of the Fingerprint Inquiry examining the Shirley McKie case.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32942 on 9 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.